HPV cervical cancer tests come home

CIO Bulletin

February 21, 2019

For many women, getting them screened for the cervical cancer-causing human papillomavirus (HPV) can be difficult. However, ignoring the test can have deadly consequences. According to the American Cancer Society, nearly 4,250 women die from invasive cervical cancer. This is why there are many healthcare companies working to bring HPV tests to women’s homes, rather than going to the doctor’s office.

According to Vikrant Sahasrabuddhe, program director in the Division of Cancer Prevention at the National Cancer Institute, “Half of the cervical cancers that continue to occur in the US are amongst women who rarely screen or have never been screened.” The underlying problem here is to get women tested for cancer.

This is where a telemedicine company- Nurx comes in. Jessica Horwitz, the director of Nurx has found a simple solution to test the women, right at their homes. They simply need to take a vaginal swab and insert the swab into a test-container and send it for testing and analysis.

While Nurx is one of the many companies working to help women, other companies like Everly Well, Let’s Get Checked, Self Collect, and Private iDNA also deliver medical tests at home. While it’s convenient to have your medical tests done at home, it could also be risky with user error and false negatives. Nevertheless, the attempt is worth appreciating.